“Imitation is the greatest form of flattery” as the famous quote says. If that’s true, then Chick-Fil-A should feel pretty flattered! McDonald’s has introduced a brand new sandwich they call their ‘Southern Style Chicken Sandwich’, which looks an awful lot like Chick-Fil-A’s chicken sandwich.

I’m reading a book right now called Mavericks at Work. It’s a great book highlighting different corporations that have revolutionized their industries. One of the shifts they outline in the commercial world is a shift in how companies compete today. Apparently, McDonald’s has missed this boat. The book states that in the past companies were compared based on their products (product vs. product). Then there was a shift to compare companies based on their business model. Today companies are being compared based on their value systems.

If you know anything about Chick-Fil-A, you know that their value system drives them. All Chick-Fil-A’s are closed on Sundays. The stand-alone stores all play Christian music. Chick-Fil-A employees all somehow have this ‘Southern Charm’ about them. Why is this? Because they have a clear value system. Their motto is “We’re here to serve. And not just sandwiches.”

In comparing these these two chicken sandwiches, people are probably split, but if you look at the value systems of these two restaurants, I would have to say Chick-Fil-A is far above McDonald’s. While McDonald’s is the ‘big boy’ on the proverbial fast food block, when given a choice between going to McDonald’s or Chick-Fil-A, most people would probably choose Chick-Fil-A because of their value system.

Here’s a question – how does the value system of your church affect your attendance? Or how you relate to new visitors?